Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story dropped on Netflix in early September and sparked several controversies. The show has been equally praised for outstanding acting and criticized for “romanticizing” the notorious serial killer.
The true crime series has also highlighted how Dahmer’s infamy has permeated pop culture, with artists like Kesha, Eminem, and Katy Perry referencing the notorious serial killer in some of their most well-known songs from the 2010s.
Kesha’s “Cannibal” Lyrics Under Fire
Kesha has specifically been called out for her song “Cannibal,” which she dropped in 2010 at the age of 23. In the song, she references the terrifying crimes of Dahmer with lyrics like “Be too sweet, and you’ll be a goner. Yep, I’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer.”
Many viewers of the true-crime series have taken to social media, arguing the show humanizes the horrific crimes of the serial killer. At the same time, the victim’s families have labeled the show as exploitative.
Kesha’s controversial “Cannibal” lyric, “Yeah I’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer,” has sparked renewed backlash following the release of Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Credit: YouTube)
Amidst the backlash, Kesha’s mom, Pebe Sebert, addressed the controversy on TikTok, taking responsibility for the lyric in question and clarifying any misunderstandings.
Jeffrey Dahmer: The Milwaukee Cannibal’s Horrific Crimes
The true crime series stars Evan Peters as the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The show maps out a disturbing depiction of true crime events. Dahmer was responsible for the murder of 17 boys and men between 1978 and 1991.
Also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, Dahmer’s horrific murders involved dismemberment, necrophilia, and cannibalism. His home was also found to have preserved body parts. The notorious killer was eventually caught when Tracy Edwards, one of his victims, escaped and was found running down the street with handcuffs on his wrist.
Kesha’s mom, American songwriter Rosemary Patricia “Pebe” Sebert, wrote “Cannibal” alongside Kesha, Joshua Coleman, and Mathieu Jomphe (Credit: Hollywood Press / Startraksphoto)
He told the police Dahmer was trying to kill him. The authorities went to investigate and found body parts preserved in Dahmer’s apartment.
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences in 1992. However, he was killed just two years into his prison sentence in 1994 by inmate Christopher Scarver.
The Story Behind the Dahmer Lyric in Kesha’s “Cannibal”
Sebert, also a songwriter, provided some context to the word choice in the song, which was written over a decade ago.
“At the time, Kesha and the other writer were too young to even know who Jeffrey Dahmer was. The way it happened is I have this rhyming program called Master Writer for Songwriters. We were looking for a rhyme for ‘goner,’ at the very end of the widest rhymes was Jeffrey Dahmer. I was like, “Oh my God, that’s a perfect lyric.”
Cannibal was released on November 9, 2010, when Kesha Rose Sebert was 23 years old (Credit: Startraksphoto / Cover Images)
“At the time, it was a song that we were writing about Kesha…Kesha was not the most popular girl in high school. She never even got asked to the prom… Later on once she got famous, all these guys that never paid any attention to her were coming around… “Now that I’m famous, you’re up my anus.” It was a tongue-in-cheek funny song. It was not actually about cannibalism. It was just a title,” the songwriter explained.
Sebert also offered her condolences to the victims’ families, “I’m sorry for anybody who lost a family member in this tragedy. We certainly never meant to hurt anybody or make anybody feel bad. There’s a movie out right now that’s bringing attention back. The song’s been out for more than 10 years, probably 12 years.”
“Jeffrey Dahmer was just part of the culture back then. Everybody talked about him for many years. What he’d done is so extreme, and worse than anyone had ever done that anybody knew about.”
Kesha’s Summertime Chic Airport Look
Kesha channels boho-chic vibes in a sheer embroidered white outfit, complete with a floppy hat and braided pigtails, while spotted at Los Angeles International Airport on June 3, 2016 (Credit: WENN)
In June 2016, Kesha embodied summertime chic in an all-white ensemble while catching a flight at Los Angeles International Airport. The 29-year-old singer turned heads in sheer white overalls embellished with intricate floral embroidery and appliqués.
Kesha exudes effortless elegance in a head-to-toe sheer white embroidered ensemble, paired with a wide-brimmed hat and strappy sandals, as she makes her way through LAX (Credit: WENN)
She paired the overalls with double-sided pearl earrings and a matching see-through button-up top with short bell sleeves.
Kesha strolls through the Los Angeles airport in embroidered white overalls and a floppy white hat (Credit: WENN)
The singer wore a wide-brimmed floppy hat over her long blonde tresses, which she styled into a pair of French braids to add an extra touch of summer to the look.
Kesha showcases her foot tattoos while stepping out in chic white laser-cut sandals (Credit: WENN)
She kept her makeup feminine with dark mascara and pink lipstick and rounded out her look with open-toed white Schutz sandals.
Kesha’s feet and foot tattoos in white “Carolinis” laser-cut sandals (Credit: WENN)
These sold-out sandals, called the “Carolinis,” feature laser-cut details, stud accents, adjustable ankle straps, and about four-inch chunky heels.
Schutz ‘Carolinis’ Laser-Cut Sandal, $99